Bonfire Night damage: what your home insurance will and will not pay
Fire is covered on almost every home policy, but much of what goes wrong on Bonfire Night is not fire. Check accidental damage, shed limits and the reasonable care condition before Thursday.
A rocket lands on the conservatory roof and the plastic starts to sag. On Thursday night, plenty of home insurance policies get tested in the back garden.
The insurer data is not new, but it points one way. In its Aviva Bonfire Night release of November 2023, the insurer said fire claims from bonfires, fireworks and sparklers rose 300 per cent in the previous November compared with October, and that one firework on a roof led to a £234,000 claim. The Saga festive hazards research, published in October 2024, found accidental damage claims on 5 November running 12 per cent above the monthly average, at an average of £1,376.
Here is the detail worth sitting with. Fire is a standard peril on almost every buildings and contents policy. Much of what goes wrong on Bonfire Night is not fire. A dog spooked by the bangs knocks the television off its stand, or a guest treads a hot sparkler into the carpet. That is accidental damage, which on many policies is an optional extra, and Saga notes that pet damage such as chewing or scratching is often excluded even then.
Two other gaps catch people out. Sheds and outbuildings often carry lower limits than the house, and the tools inside may need contents cover. Insurers also expect reasonable care, so an unattended bonfire beside the fence gives them a reason to question a claim.
The law sets the hours. Fireworks can be set off until midnight on Bonfire Night rather than the usual 11pm cut-off, according to GOV.UK fireworks guidance.
If something does go wrong, photograph the damage before clearing up, keep what is left of the firework and tell your insurer promptly.
Check whether you have accidental damage cover before the first rocket goes up, not after.